Dust to Dust (Formerly the nWoD grenade thread)

Were I to commit to herding ferrets (and only to herding ferrets) for an nWoD game with multi-sphere support and a higher power level, who would be interested in a- helping me get it set up, and b- helping to run it? I'm not particularly interested in anything but administrative assistance (my love is all being poured into my Victoriana game and then the game I am playing on), but I am damn fine at herding ferrets.

I'm thinking probably a 'replacement' city for Portland, or possibly bringing Bay City back for the lulz. Whatever, it would certainly be a metropolis made up, but perhaps based on a real city somewhere just to ensure we have some material to work with. West Coast definitely; if I did it up in my general neck of the woods (Washington Puget Sound region) it would mean that I know pretty much all the local myths and I'm entirely familiar with the local tribes and state politics (shoot me).

Saying 'me me me' is not a solid commitment at this point; I'm not even going to think about doing this shit without a solid group. But hey, might as well put my money where my fucking mouth is.

I'll help get it started, but I have no interest in actively staffing on any game but my own, at this point. :) I'm an adhoc helper-outter and scene/NPC-runner in general for Reno when whatshisname asks, and same for Eldritch.

Hell, that offer is for any of you out there making games. I'm glad to help set-up in minor non-intensive ways as asked.

I'll help get it started, but I have no interest in actively staffing on any game but my own, at this point. :) I'm an adhoc helper-outter and scene/NPC-runner in general for Reno when whatshisname asks, and same for Eldritch.

Hell, that offer is for any of you out there making games. I'm glad to help set-up in minor non-intensive ways as asked.

ES

I highly recommend pilfering @EmmahSue's ideas, she was tons and tons of help both in providing ideas of her own and helping to organize ours. Also if you give her a bit then later on she can potenitally indulge in hi-larious pranks, probably at @coin's and @silver's expense, which makes it a double win-win.

We're super busy with Eldritch but I'm sure @coin and I would offer moral support and our observations muddling through this so far and @thenomain and @chime generally are great about providing their code to the community. From what I have seen there's definitely a desire for this sort of thing.

@Sunny I am tempted to say "maybe" but I would flake on you as soon as I had a bad week IRL or something similarly needful but unimportant to the running of a game, so the best support I can possibly give you is my encouragement and my steadfast determination that I will not stand in your way or ruin your project.

But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?
-Mark Twain

I'm willing to contribute. I tend to be fairly decent at brainstorming, plot arc conception, building, and can jobmonkey like a champ. Build/jobmonkey are likely where I'm most overtly useful.

I have enough of the higher level sphere/player management stuff on my plate already for the time being, but am fairly available enough to keep minor things like spends/etc. from creating +job clutter. I'm pretty good with grid organization and find building for grids and dig-and-hand-off-for-descing for player builds almost painfully easy (provided there's no truly weird code tucked in there that someone decides they just need, need, need to have).

I was planning to help out @tragedyjones with his multi-sphere concept in whatever position I'd be useful in, but since I'm not sure where that's going at the moment, there's a wedge of time set aside already dedicated to that generalized end.

Alright, lovely people. I am going to do this. I'm not going to start on it right this instant; I need to finish getting back up on my feet so that I don't randomly turn into a lunatic on people before settling down again, but the last of that was dealt with today and should be worked out all the way soon (just some silly little medical stuff).

What I need from folks is a PM here / an email to jmotteler (gasp) at comcast (eyeroll, they're what we have) dot net. I need the best way to contact you (an e-mail would be great, so I can send out a mass message, never fear, I know how to use bcc!), and what particular contributions are being offered. @Surreality, I'll definitely take you up on the building help, and @Thenomain once I have a site set up if you could just put in what you have for the chargen system that would be phenomenally appreciated. @EmmahSue, if once I get the ball rolling on this you could do some brainstorming sessions with me for metaplot/history, I need your brainz. @VulgarKitten, if you think you can work with me (I have no concerns about working with you), I'd be happy to have you on board. I am certain that I can find things I need help with.

I do not actually need any coding help that I am aware of at this point; if I do need it, I'll let folks know. I can't quite tell who was offering concrete help otherwise and who was just jumping around, otherwise.

What I am going to need are Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). I am very good with 1.0; TR switching to 1.5 broke my brain and I ran away screaming. So someone really is going to need to help me get out through the gate. I get the setting/fluff/etc nooooo problem, but I have to be taught the specifics of how the rules work, even if it's an example combat. Beyond that, I have very little investment in any sphere but mortal/+/immortal; I'm going to need SMEs for all of the Big Splats, which I will be following in Eldrich's shoes on opening as they come out (though I am going to want to bring forward support for Geist if it's not on the horizon, because I love the sphere so much).

Mage is going to be a significant issue/sticking point for me, and I am REALLY going to need a SME there in particular if I want to think of including them.

As far as flakes go, I love them. It's fine. I'm over the break staff up by sphere classic model of staffing. I think it does more harm than good, and ultimately results in people who are great at one thing having to also do things they're bad at because it's part of their job. Some of my favorite people (you know who you are, not naming names this time) completely flake out fairly regularly, and I think a lot of it has to do with people being responsible for more than they're able to take on. Sphere wiz is like, the shittiest job ever. Screw that.

With a non-sphere staffing model, it compensates for people wandering off and back fairly well, I think. We'll have SMEs, but that will be reserved for things that actually NEED them; otherwise we'll share the workload. I honestly think that with a good team, that will make the world easier.

I am planning on using some of the models I've developed for Smoke and Mirrors: A Victoriana Game (essentially the goal is to automate everything that does not require judgment, and remove as many barriers to play as possible -- a review system after the fact, rather than an approval system, for example).

IF YOU WANT THE EASIEST-YET-SOMEHOW-MOST-COMPLICATED PATH, you will probably want to toss out about half of the setting STUFF in the books and use the guides/suggestions for building your own. By which I mean, the rules/examples from that one vampire book that re-defines all the covenants so that they all interact THIS WAY, instead of THAT WAY. Then do it for all of the things internally. Then do it for all of the things together. With luck, find a wiki genius to compile it all. Bonus points if you find a way to keep the continuity of character backgrounds. I'd offer help, but FLAKE FLAKE FLAKE.

I will! Thank you for the recommendation. There will be a gathering of resources available and the acceptance of assistance from wherever it wants to come from. I just need another week or two for a few things to stable out for me in the offline world, then I'll get a site up and we'll go from there. I've had LOTS of volunteers for help, so I don't think we'll have any problem at all getting things off of the ground and moving forward.

I am going to be playing TinyDictator, but there are some things that I'm going to want to bat around with you once I get the site up, see what you think about them before full pursuit of the various bits. I am being deliberately vague because none of the ideas are coherently enough collected and discussed to churn them through the grinder here.